Where, when you can recycle Christmas trees
Dec. 22—DULUTH — The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District and several area businesses are now accepting natural Christmas trees for free recycling.
Residents are asked to remove all ornaments and tree stands before bringing trees to a treecycling location. Wreaths, garland and other evergreen decorations with wires are not recyclable and should be thrown in the trash. Holiday light strings can be recycled year-round at WLSSD's Materials Recovery Center.
"Holiday trees, like yard and garden waste, are banned from the trash in Minnesota," said AJ Axtell, WLSSD's director of community relations. "Trees contain valuable resources that can be reclaimed through treecycling. Collected trees will be ground up and composted, saving landfill space while safely managing any invasive species that may have been brought into the region from non-local sites."
Six Duluth sites are open for tree drop-off through Jan. 10:
* Chester Bowl, parking lot by playground.
* Lester Park, parking lot by playground.
* Duluth Heights Community Club, parking lot across the street.
* Woodland Community Club, lower parking lot off Woodland Avenue.
* Rose Garden parking lot.
* City of Duluth West Toolhouse on Commonwealth Avenue.
Two sites in Carlton County are open through Jan. 31:
* Sappi Fine Paper in Cloquet, gatehouse entrance.
* Moose Lake Compost Site, across from city garage.
Three sites in Duluth are open through Jan. 31:
* VONCO V Landfill, in the Gary neighborhood, starting Dec. 26.
* WLSSD Yard Waste Compost Site off 27th Avenue West.
* WLSSD Materials Recovery Center off Rice Lake Road.
The program begins before Christmas for people who may be traveling over the holidays.
More details about the 2023 treecycling program are available at
